


oh my my my

by loneliestfox



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-08 23:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13469340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loneliestfox/pseuds/loneliestfox
Summary: Mark finds a note. All it says is: p.s. i never told you, but i’m in love with you  — l.d.h





	oh my my my

Mark finds a piece of paper that looks like it got ripped off a notebook taped to one of his moving boxes. They were taped together like it was meant for him, specifically, to open it. So he does just that and gets his breath caught in his throat.

p.s. i never told you, but i’m in love with you  — l.d.h 

The piece of paper suddenly feels heavy in his hand, the words _love_ and _l.d.h_ weighing them down to the floor. He’s sitting cross legged in his empty dorm room, completely appalled that his asshole of a best friend confessed to him through a shitty note when he’s miles away from him. He crumples it in his hand and stomps out of his room to throw it into the recycle bin in the dorm lounge. He lets out a loud sigh when the cover of the bin rattles when he slams it down. That never happened. Lee Donghyuck did not just confess to him through a shitty note.

When he walks back in his dorm room, the opposite side of his bed is occupied. A boy about his height, but very much more built than him, hovers over his own suitcase. He looks up at the sound of the door opening and grins. 

“Hi,” he says, a snaggletooth peeking out of his smile. “I’m Woojin.”

“Hi.” _Lee Donghyuck’s an asshole_. “I’m Mark!”

Later that night, when Mark’s completely spent after a six hour long orientation, he gets a text from Donghyuck.

`how was ur first day!`

He doesn’t reply.

 

Woojin’s a dancer and is rough around the edges while Mark is a lyricist at most and is soft all around. They share three classes together and Mark does all his notes while Woojin sleeps in class. They’re not the best fit but they work it out. The first time Woojin and him stumble into their dorm room, kissing him stupid, he had hit his head against a shelf.

But Woojin is not Donghyuck. Mark had wondered if he had said anything about the note he found, the one in bed with him would be Donghyuck not Woojin from Calculus 101. But he didn’t. So he lets Woojin kiss him again and again and again.

Mark texts Donghyuck about Woojin. Donghyuck replied two days later with a very enthusiastic congratulations balloon emoji confetti emoji kissy emoji kissy emoji. They don’t talk anymore.

(What they didn’t tell you on the first day of orientation is that you do not date your roommate. It is very unlikely that you will last forever.)

(They don’t last and Mark had to request for a roommate switch.)

 

Mark’s only update on Donghyuck comes from Instagram. dhlee just posted a photo. He clicks on the notification and twice this year, his breath gets caught in his throat because of Donghyuck. It’s him. It’s him with Jeno and Renjun and Jaemin in their school varsity jackets. They all look good but Donghyuck especially. He has his hair swept back by the wind. A wide grin on his face with cheeks tinted pink. He captioned it _last game with the bros_ and Mark is reminded that he’s graduating.

He opens the messaging app and sees a green dot over Donghyuck’s name.

`hi`, he texts and bites his finger. `how’s life?`

Donghyuck replies almost immediately. `i’m fine. you?`

 

Christmas finds him face to face with his best friend again. It only takes two seconds of Mark standing awkwardly in his house for him to be in Donghyuck’s arms.

“Hi,” Donghyuck says into his shoulder. “I miss you.”

_You’re in love with me._

“I miss you, too.”

They rarely talk anymore but that doesn’t mean they’re not best friends. Donghyuck surprises Mark with a kiss on the cheek and a big box full of socks. Mark sheepishly hands him a small box, containing a year supply of toothpaste.

“Why?” Asks Donghyuck, through laughter and tears. And for a second there, Mark really thinks nothing has changed. On New Year’s Eve, Mark has Donghyuck’s head on his lap as they count down from five! Four! Donghyuck’s in love with you! He looks down at Donghyuck in his lap, grinning dumbly at the skyline. 

Donghyuck’s in love with him.

 

Mark meets Yeri at Korean Cultural Club. With arms, elbow deep into a big basin of kimchi, Mark spills his own fucked version of a love story after she tells him about her own. Something about a straight girl named Suhyun and another boy named Donghyun. It’s heartbreaking.

“So you just let him,” Yeri says. “You just let him do normal best friend things while you know very well he’s in love with you?”

“I didn’t want him to be embarrassed.”

“He taped it to your box, Mark,” she says as she carefully takes off her gloves. “He wants you to know.”

“Not like that,” he mutters. “You heading to Jihoon’s party later?”

Koreans famously drink until they black out. Mark does so and ends up crying into Yeri’s lap about how much he loves Donghyuck.

 

Donghyuck celebrates his birthday and graduation on the same day. Mark reaches his old high school an hour after the ceremony, when the field is littered with white and red confetti and flooded with teenagers and crying parents. It’s not hard to find Donghyuck when he dyed his hair red for this specific event. Mark fixes his tie and waves at Donghyuck from the bottom of the stairs.

“You made it!” Donghyuck yells and throws his arms around Mark. He skipped his classes to be by his side and that’s okay. Donghyuck’s parents scolds Jaemin and Renjun when they sneak in to photobomb a photo of Donghyuck and Mark alone. He has his arm around Donghyuck’s waist and smiles wide to the camera.

“I’m really glad you made it, Mark,” he says and squishes Mark’s cheeks. “Thank you.”

Then and there, Mark thought he was going to kiss him. His heartbeat quickens when they continue to stare at each other in silence. Then, like speed of lightning, Donghyuck was off him and on the grass, tackled by Renjun, Jaemin and Jeno. Mark stares at the bunch in disbelief and laughs.

Maybe later.

 

To no one’s absolute surprise, Donghyuck gets into the same college as Mark. No one expected it to be any other way. Donghyuck was always following Mark around like a lost puppy. Having a childhood friend in college is a little funny, Yeri says, when she sees Mark carrying a box of Donghyuck’s stuff up to his room. 

“Hyuck, this is Yeri,” Mark says, glancing from one to the other. “Yeri, this is —”

“Donghyuck.” She smiles, patting Donghyuck’s hair. “Heard lots about you. You’re a special one to this one,” she says, thumbs towards Mark. Mark blushes.

“Huh,” Donghyuck says, grinning. “He’s special to me too.”

(Mark tells Donghyuck to not make out with his roommate on the very first day.)

 

Two bottles of grape flavoured soju is all it takes for Mark to come stumbling into his room crying about Donghyuck, again. Yeri lives down the hall from Mark for this exact reason.

“Why can’t you just tell him?” Yeri says, patting his back to let Mark let all his lunch and dinner out of his system into the toilet bowl. “It hurts seeing you like this.”

Chan, his roommate, stands worriedly at their bathroom door, gnawing on his bottom lip. “Should I get Donghyuck?” He asks. Mark raises a hand to wave him off.

This whole thing is unnecessary drama brought to you by Mark Lee, himself. He has no one else to blame but himself for this. For not saying anything. For throwing the note away. He’ll settle it himself.

 

Mark declares himself a music major two weeks into sophomore year. Donghyuck’s sitting on the edge of his bed, tapping his pen against his notebook when Mark says, “I’m a music major now.”

“Aw,” he says. “That’s cute. Write me a song one day.”

Mark doesn’t know what to say. The lyric book he has on his desk has Donghyuck written all over it in different words. Sometimes Sun, star, moon, or even apple. He smiles and says, “one day.”

 

The first time Mark and Donghyuck drink together is during the KCC winter retreat. Donghyuck’s a touchy drinker and his hands were never off Mark for the whole night. Donghyuck, being one of the youngest along with Jeno, got bullied into doing impromptu performances. Mark looks at him sadly, remembering the times when he had to do it too. Donghyuck pauses at Mark’s glass and grins. Says, “You’ve had enough.”

Mark laughs. “Sure,” he says. One more glass and he’ll confess his undying love for Donghyuck right then and there.

Later that night when everyone’s asleep, Donghyuck sneaks off into Mark’s cabin and sleeps in his bed. Maybe it’s because they’re a little drunk and stupidly in love with each other but Donghyuck kisses Mark and he has never been so in love with a boy so much.

 

“Hey about last night,” Donghyuck starts. They’re packing their things next to each other. Mostly Mark handing him his own belongings and him trying to push everything into one backpack. “I’m sorry.”

Mark hums. “For what?”

Donghyuck’s hand pauses in the middle of packing and Mark stares at him, his sweater in between them. Donghyuck stares back, eyes wide.

“We kissed,” he explains.

“I know.”

“What?” Donghyuck splutters. “I kissed you! You’re not bothered by it?”

“Why would I?” Mark says, taking things to his own hands and places Donghyuck’s clothes inside his bag. “You love me.”

“What?”

“You do, right?” Now it’s Mark turn to feel scared. Confused. He avoids Donghyuck’s stare and zips the bag.

“How did you —”

“Your stupid note,” Mark huffs out, rolling his eyes and throws a pillow straight into Donghyuck’s chest. “A taped fucking note, Hyuck. How much of an asshole are you?”

Donghyuck continues to gape at him in disbelief. Mark has never felt more light in his life. He feels as if a huge rock got off his chest, his tongue not tied anymore.

“I thought you didn’t,” he stammers out, cheeks red. “I thought you didn’t see it.”

“No, I threw it away,” he cuts in. “Tell it to my face next time.”

“Mark,” he trails and reaches for Mark’s hand. He lets him hold his hand and it’s warm. He squeezes Donghyuck’s hand. “I love you.”

“Since when,” Mark asks quietly, aware of the people outside the room, bustling around to pack before they leave. “Why can’t you just tell it to me, Hyuck?”

“I don’t remember,” he answers and lets out a sigh. “And I was scared. Because you were off to college and all that. But I don’t remember a time that I don’t love you.”

Mark’s heart melts at that and tugs him closer. They kiss in the middle of the room with Donghyuck’s hands on his waist and his own on Donghyuck’s face. He can feel it warming up by the second. When they pull away, Donghyuck looks at him with a dazed look. It makes him feel a little dizzy.

“I love you too, Hyuck,” he says, grazing Donghyuck’s cheek with his thumb. “You’ll always be my best friend. You know that, right?”

And it’s stupid how Donghyuck confessed to him first through a stupid note and how Mark decides to never confront his feelings about his best friend. But with Donghyuck in his arms right now, everything bad that has happened to him disappears.

“Right.”

 

Their first date is weeks after the retreat and at the cafe right outside the campus. But it’s fine, Mark says. As long as it’s with you.

“We’re both broke,” Donghyuck laughs when their one and only vanilla milkshake arrives. He sticks two straws in and takes a sip. “But I think this is a bit romantic.”

Mark doesn’t say anything. He wants to say, the light over their heads are romantic. It makes Donghyuck glow. Instead, he reaches forward and interlock their fingers together.

They share drinks and a meal. Mark leaves feeling full and in love, hand in hand with Donghyuck.

 

The next time Mark gets drunk, Yeri laughs and Donghyuck’s too busy pouring drinks for everyone. Mark whines until he tears up. Chan sitting across him fakes projectile all over the floor and Jeongguk shoos Donghyuck from his duties and bullies Jeno and Jinyoung instead.

“You’re extra clingy when you’re drunk,” Donghyuck laughs and pats Mark’s cheeks.

“It’s because I love you,” Mark sing-songs and he hopes no one heard him. He leans against Donghyuck’s side and kisses him on the cheek. “You’re so cute, Hyuck.”

“Okay,” Donghyuck says, flustered. “You have to stop drinking.”

“Tell me you love me first,” he whines and in his peripheral view he can see at least three people chuckling. He couldn’t be bothered. Donghyuck sighs. “Hyuck.”

“I love you too,” Donghyuck says and gives him a peck on his lips.

Mark grins happily and nuzzles closer to Donghyuck’s side, totally content. His eyelids were getting heavier by the second. He hears Yeri tell Donghyuck, “He used to cry when he’s drunk, you know.”

In which, Donghyuck’s reply was, “About what?”

“You.”

“Oh.”

“He’s clingy and extra gross now.” Mark can’t see but from the time he spends with Yeri, that tone must be paired up with an expression of disgust. Then, “I’m happy though. Thanks, Donghyuck.”

He hears Donghyuck laugh, feeling the vibration through his body and Mark blinks rapidly to stay awake. Donghyuck turns to look at him and smile. “Yeah?”

He’s stupidly in love with a whole cutie.

“Mmm. Nothing,” he says, giggling. “You’re cute.”

And I love you.

“You’re cute too.” 

I love you too.

**Author's Note:**

>   * this fic is fully sponsored by troye sivan
>   * [this](http://78.media.tumblr.com/b00690fa0ca09d2734b959f66af86b57/tumblr_oj7hkkgNUF1vaozwio5_400.gif) [fic](http://78.media.tumblr.com/26eb903185f4b9fafed454bf1b2c831a/tumblr_oncdanboMf1w6qr27o3_400.gif) [is](http://78.media.tumblr.com/6529036f97ea9988d12746902487d45a/tumblr_oncdanboMf1w6qr27o7_400.gif) [canon](http://78.media.tumblr.com/b9aee232fd0f9c9cc400a38f2fee3103/tumblr_oxhakeBIUk1w6qr27o9_r2_400.gif) lmao
> 



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